After I came to faith in Jesus, I learned about this beautiful thing called grace—God’s riches at Christ’s expense. I don’t remember where I first heard it, but I heard it a lot. Over the years, the Lord has continued to expand my understanding of this amazing gift he gives. And even more, an understanding of the benefits of walking in grace and choosing the unoffended way.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I still struggle with grace. I want it, but when I look at the benefits and responsibility of it, I’m not going to lie, there can be a wave of overwhelm.
Now, I know I used the word responsibility, so I just want to clarify that I’m not talking about a responsibility that earns grace. I’m talking about the responsibility that stewards grace because it isn’t a commodity, it’s a standard.
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10
Grace is God’s standard and it’s good, just like he is. He demonstrates grace through a perfect plan of redemption and restoration, where his divine favor overrides what we really deserve. God secures justice, but it comes by way of grace—to anyone who is will to receive it by faith.
Choosing the unoffended way
So, receiving grace can be easy enough, because ultimately God created us in his image. Even with the fall and the curse, we are still hardwired with the DNA of God—Imago Deo.
Grace comes in through the doorway of belief. When we make the choice to believe God, our agreement gives him permission to remove the walls of unbelief. He dismantles the lies and shifts the lens until we see things as he does. Grace repositions the soul, making it a vessel that pours it out with every touch and encounter.
You and I have a responsibility to steward that well, and the best way I know is when we assume a pre-emptive offense, which unapologetically guards the heart. Choosing the unoffended way clears the way for walking in grace.
So, what’s a pre-emptive offense?
It is a commitment to remembering what Christ did and then obedience to following his example. Practically speaking, we can identify with Christ at the cross every time we choose to not be offended. Jesus trusted the Father with justice and in that act of surrender he overcame sin and death—and he did that for you and me.
Jesus had every right to want justice for the horrific way he was treated, yet he trusted God, went to the cross, suffered, and then he died. The Bible tells us he descended to hell, endured complete separation from God, but then he rose again on the third day. Jesus’ resurrection is the justice we need, and he is the justice that the world needs.
Walking the way of grace requires choosing to guard the heart against the offense, closing the door to bitterness and resentment before it can even take root. It’s easier to deny access than to evict an unwanted guest.
Grace calls identity forward
Here’s the thing about walking in grace and choosing the unoffended way. It removes all elements of masquerade, whether enforced or self-imposed. Grace calls identity forward and then works to restore and renew according to God’s perfect design.
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14
This amazing Psalm of David, speaks of God’s divine grace, how the love of God is relentless in His pursuit of restoration and revival. There was a fall and there was a curse, but none of that surprised God. He designed us in his image, with a default that is compelled to search for him.
Grace gives us a way back into His presence. It is only in that sweet place of communion with the Father that we can know who we truly are. He holds the blueprint. God is one who understands the details and the operating system. Through grace, there is a way to understand how it all comes together, and then as we host his presence, he stands as overwatch, directing our way in every moment.
Without the Lord, we will stumble along, trying on all the different ideas of who others say we are. It’s a wearisome way to live, don’t you think? Walking in grace is active and it gets applied to all our moments and encounters as we give it and receive it according to the same measure.
Walking in grace is the foundation of freedom
“For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
Grace is the foundation of our freedom. It’s what breaks the chains and opens the prison doors. Jesus’ death and resurrection overcame sin and death, setting us forever free from the power of the grave.
So, if it is such a foundation, what does that say of the way we live?
The benefit of walking in grace is the freedom it affords to the way we live, not just later when Christ returns, but now, in all our moments and encounters. Freedom to live according to who God created us to be, without fear or concern about what others think or believe.
If we have been set free, then why should we superimpose prisons upon ourselves? How absurd, yet isn’t that exactly what we do, when we oppose grace?
The Law was designed to show us how impossible it would be to ever earn that favor, but walking in grace? That’s the system God has given us to maintain our freedom. Freedom is glorious compared to the prison of hate, anger, and fear.
Grace is the gateway to abundance
Because who doesn’t want access to the goodness of God, right? Look beyond pardon and see the way into the throne room of God. The Bible tells us that when Jesus died, the temple veil separating the holy of holies, tore from top to bottom. God himself removed the barrier when Jesus became sin and nailed it to the cross.
Grace gives us access to God. This is powerful and important to catch because God himself is the provision of every single thing that we could ask, imagine, or need.
We get access to the abundance of God, through presence with God. This is a profound benefit of walking in grace, don’t you think? The fullness of all God’s promises are found in him, and grace is the way in. But even more, when we are walking in grace, we become conduits—the way in—for those looking for Him.
The beauty of grace is in the pouring in and the pouring out. That we would understand it never runs dry. God is so faithful and good; we can indeed empty ourselves, trusting him to fill us to overflow—again and again.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
Grace opens the way to purpose
There is nothing worse than using an object incorrectly. When my daughter was a child, she drove me crazy in her refusal to use things according to their design. There was no order and it created such frustration because I could never find what we needed. It’s like that old adage, it’s hard to pound a square peg into a round hole.
You and I were created for a very specific purpose and living outside of that can be so frustrating. God created humanity in his image for the purpose of a relationship. What I mean is, that we are created to live in communion with Him—everything else we do flows out of that purpose and union.
Walking in grace allows us the ability to find purpose, which is really just another way of saying fulfillment. I don’t know about you, but I have a deep longing for fulfillment. There is something in me that just feels incomplete and drives me to find purpose. It’s hardwired in our DNA.
Fulfillment and purpose are found by walking in grace toward the heart of the Father. The idea of purpose is closely linked with identity, but not in the way we usually see it. True identity understands that as beloved sons and daughters, we can access the Father. In the place of presence, there is knowing that occurs and out of that knowing, there is a response.
Kind of sounds like worship, doesn’t it?
Actually, that’s exactly what it is. Worship describes the wonderful grace of knowing God and being known by Him. That’s the standard by which we live, being filled with love, and then emptying ourselves of love, because the love never stops. That’s what walking in grace looks like.
Because walking in grace leads to shalom
Okay, I saved the best for last, because walking in grace leads to shalom. Shalom means peace, but it also means wholeness—nothing missing, nothing lost. It’s a kind of completeness that feels compelled to give back, just like our worship response.
When I think about shalom, I think about total healing. That was the point of the cross; that’s what salvation is. Walking in grace is the process by which God makes us new and whole—this my, friend, is all about healing.
Now, sometimes we get trapped in our limited understanding of what healing is. It’s not just a physical manifestation that leads to a certain rightness, it’s about complete wellness—body, mind, and soul. Shalom is about a whole peace and we only get there by walking in grace.
We’ve been talking a lot about Shalom in our house lately, so this whole picture of grace-filled peace that emanates identity, purpose, freedom, and abundance feels like a more excellent way.
What if we actually lived like God’s grace is enough?
I know I’m pushing and picking a little because sometimes we do come face to face with some really offensive things. Spoken words or deeds done with little thought or consideration of the impact, can bring injury and pain. Choosing to walk on and let your heart refuse the offense may feel beyond reasonable, but the effect of grace will always, always, always make up for a thousand injustices.
“The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:24-26
Shalom is the exchange. The hard work of guarding your heart worth the wholeness of shalom—this is what walking in grace looks like.